X-45 Joint Unmanned Combat Air System, The Boeing Company, Chicago, Illinois, USA

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Manufacturer - The Boeing Company

Boeing X-45 on Wikipedia

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Boeing X-45A Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle Program (2002)

Uploaded on Feb 10, 2011

Courtesy: NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, DARPA, Boeing
With all the excitement over the Northrop Grumman X-47B flying this week it's easy to forget that this has all happened before, and this will all happen again.

Dryden Flight Research Center signed an agreement with DARPA and Boeing back in 1999 to each develop an Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV). Boeing and Northrop both developed test models on independent but parallel production paths in order to develop a Joint Unmanned Combat Air System (J-UCAS).

Boeing developed the X-45A demonstration vehicle and Northrop the X-47A. The first flight of the X-45A was in 2002, almost eight years ago.Testing included taxi, takeoff and landing and various airborne activities. One of the key tests for the X-45 was a system to allow for autonomous formation flight and tests delivering weapons on target.

The Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) system demonstration program was a joint DARPA/Air Force/Boeing effort to demonstrate the technical feasibility for a UCAV system to conduct various strike missions within the emerging global command and control architecture. The demonstrations within the program are providing the information necessary to enable decision-makers to determine whether it is technically and fiscally prudent to continue development of UCAV aircraft to perform missions.

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US Navy - X-47B UCAS first touch & go landing tests on USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77)

Published on May 21, 2013

USS GEORGE H.W. BUSH, At Sea (NNS) -- The Navy's X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator (UCAS-D) has begun touch and go landing operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) May 17 2013.

For UCAS-D, this represents the most significant technology maturation of the program. Ship relative navigation and precision touchdown of the X-47B are critical technology elements for all future Unmanned Carrier Aviation (UCA) aircraft.

Don Blottenberger, UCAS-D Deputy Program manager, commented, "This landing, rubber hitting deck, is extremely fulfilling for the team and is the culmination of years of relative navigation development. Now, we are set to demonstrate the final pieces of the demonstration."

Earlier in the week, the UCAS-D test team and CVN 77 worked together to successfully complete the first ever launch of an unmanned aircraft from an aircraft carrier proving the importance of introducing unmanned aviation into the already powerful arsenal of aircraft squadrons.

"We are proud to be a part of another historic first for Naval Aviation. The landing was spot-on and it's impressive to witness the evolution of the Carrier Air Wing," said Capt. Brian E. Luther, Commanding Officer USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77)

The various launch and landing operations of the X-47B on the flight deck of George H. W. Bush signify historic events for naval aviation history. These demonstrations display the Navy's readiness to move forward with unmanned carrier aviation operations.

Capt. Jaime Engdahl, program manager for Unmanned Combat Air Systems program office, said, "When we operate in a very dynamic and harsh carrier environment, we need networks and communication links that have high integrity and reliability to ensure mission success and provide precise navigation and placement of an unmanned vehicle."

"Today, we have demonstrated this with the X-47B, and we will continue to demonstrate, consistent, reliable, repeatable touch-down locations on a moving carrier flight deck," he continued. "This precision relative navigation technology is key to ensuring future unmanned systems can operate off our aircraft carriers."

The UCAS-D program plans to conduct shore-based arrested landings of the X-47B at NAS Patuxent River in the coming months before final carrier-based arrestments later in 2013.

George H.W. Bush is currently conducting training operations in the Atlantic Ocean, strengthening the Navy's forward operating and war fighting ability.

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X-47B completes first carrier-based arrested landing

Jul 10, 2013

The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator completed its first carrier-based arrested landing on board USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) off the coast of Virginia July 10.